Pope Francis arrives in South Korea to begin his first Asia trip

With Pope Francis landing in South Korea, the country is gearing up to host the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church on his maiden trip to Asia after he assumed the papacy in March 2013.

The trip is also significant because it is the first visit to Asia by a pope in the last two decades. South Korea had earlier hosted Pope John Paul II in 1989, who had then prayed for the reunion of North and South Korea, reported the BBC.

During his trip, Pope Francis will beatify Korean Catholics, who died for their faith and attend a Catholic youth festival.

The pope is scheduled to visit Asia again in January next year when he travels to Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

With over 5.4 million members, the Catholic Church of South Korea is one of the fastest growing in the world, the report added.